This thesis deals with the postponement of compulsory school attendance. The theoretical part defines the characteristics of the pre-season in terms of the development of key competencies and skills as a prerequisite for entry into school and also describes the concept of school readiness and legislative definition postponement of compulsory school attendance. It also discusses the risk areas for children and their removal. The work also addresses the key factors that may dominate in the postponement of school attendance (eg. Family socio-culturally disadvantaged environment, attention deficits, speech problems, health problems) and possible sources of support for the child at risk for school attendance postponement (eg .: Family , kindergartens, educational-psychological counseling centers, special pedagogical center, leisure activities, etc.). I also mention the risk of early entry into primary school. In the practical part we will learn what areas of risk in children most often. Results get the records of the child's progress during the first term of the school year, based on which we can experience a significant shift of children in different areas and with the help of a questionnaire survey, observation of children. The aim is to map areas at risk children and to monitor the effect of specially...

A major challenge that faces most families is effectively anticipating how ready to start school a given child is. Traditional tests are not very effective as they depend on the skills of the expert conducting the test. It is argued that automated tools are more attractive especially when they are extended with games capabilities that would be the most attractive for the children to be seriously involved in the test. The first part of this thesis reviews the school readiness approaches applied in various countries. This motivated the development of the sophisticated system described in the thesis. Extensive research was conducted to enrich the system with features that consider machine learning and social network aspects. A modified genetic algorithm was integrated into a web-based stealth assessment tool for school readiness. The research goal is to create a web-based stealth assessment tool that can learn the user's skills and adjust the assessment tests accordingly. The user plays various sessions from various games, while the Genetic Algorithm (GA) selects the upcoming session or group of sessions to be presented to the user according to his/her skills and status. The modified GA and the learning procedure were described. A penalizing system and a fitness heuristic for best choice selection were integrated into the GA. Two methods for learning were presented, namely a memory system and a no-memory system. Several methods were presented for the improvement of the speed of learning. In addition, learning mechanisms were introduced in the social network aspect to address further usage of stealth assessment automation. The effect of the relatives and friends on the readiness of the child was studied by investigating the social communities to which the child belongs and how the trend in these communities will reflect on to the child under investigation. The plan is to develop this framework further by incorporating more information related to social network construction and analysis. Also, it is planned to turn the framework into a self adaptive one by utilizing the feedback from the usage patterns to learn and adjust the evaluation process accordingly.

My thesis is focused on the theme "Gypsy child at the beginning of school attendace". The main aim of my thesis is to find out how gypsy pupils are able to adapt to an inclusive school. The purpose is complemented by research questions which are divided into two areas according to influencing factors. The first of the factors are internal factors, that means the ones that deal with the individual of a children in the educational process himself, then external factors which influence and participate in education of Roma pupils in primary school. Theoretical part is formed to make consistent unit with the practical part. First chapter is focused on Romas and their ethnic history. In second and third chapter we can find out more about the gypsy pupils in the beginning of school attendance. Second chapter is divided into several subchapters according to the determinants of school maturity. Fourth chapter is the basis of the whole thesis, because it is mainly focused on the gypsy pupils in the context of Czech education. This chapter is also divided into several subchapters depending on the different influences on the education of gypsy pupils. In the fifth chapter attention is paid to the work of a teacher with a gypsy pupil. In other chapters there is a summary of my knowledge from the whole of the...

Longitudinal research has demonstrated that children’s emotional and social skills are linked to their early academic achievement (Wentzel & Asher, 1995). Children who have difficulty paying attention, following directions, getting along with others, and controlling negative emotions like anger and distress do not do as well in school (Arnokl et al., 1999; McClelland et al., 2000). Academic achievement in the early years of schooling appears to be built on a firm foundation of children’s social emotional skills (Ladd, Kochenderfer, & Coleman, 1997; O’Neil et al., 1997). Higher quality prekindergarten programs are associated with the early years of schooling and more positive academic outcomes in children (Burchinal et al., 2000). Investments in early childhood programs by state and federal governments have been made with a goal of improving school readiness for low income children. These investments are based on findings that show a link between program quality and children’s academic outcomes. Studies of model programs show that intensive early childhood services can improve children’s cognitive, 2 academic, and social skills with gains maintained into adulthood (Burchinal, Kainz, & Cai, in press). The purpose of this study was to create knowledge that indicates the influence of the social emotional skills children gain by completing prekindergarten. Schools in Sevier County, Tennessee that have prekindergarten classrooms in place were chosen for this study because kindergarten is the next experience children will have after pre-k. Kindergarten teachers in the schools chosen were purposefully selected as participants. Kindergarten teachers have the opportunity to make comparisons of differences in academic readiness of students who have completed prekindergarten and the students who have not been in a school environment. Kindergarten teachers may be able to conclude from classroom observation of the 2 groups if there is a difference in academic readiness. Home environments with strong parental involvement were most kindergarten teachers’ first choice for early learning and kindergarten preparation. Teachers realization that a strong home environment is not available to all children encouraged them to appreciate having a high quality public school prekindergarten as an alternative. Kindergarten teachers overall perceptions about the readiness of children who enter their classroom after completing prekindergarten were positive.

The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 required teacher assistants (TAs) to obtain their child development associate (CDA) credential by September of 2015. TAs who had not obtained their CDA within the required timeframe were either demoted or terminated from their positions. However, with the increase of working parents, the need for quality early childhood education has risen. In this project study, the barriers TAs confront in regards to their decision to continue their schooling to obtain a CDA credential were examined, as were the factors that deterred or prevented them from enrolling in or completing a higher education program. The purpose of the study was to inform the development of a plan outlining how childcare administration can mentor and encourage TAs in the completion of their CDA program. Knowles's theory of adult learning and Kolb's experiential learning theory provided the theoretical basis and framework for this qualitative case study. Cluster random selection was used to identify 9 participants who were interviewed using a semistructured process. Interview responses were recorded, transcribed, and broken down into 6 themes. Findings showed that 7 out of 9 participants experienced barriers to continuing their education, and 8 of the 9 partipants expressed a desire to participate in a mentoring program. Raising the educational requirements and completion rate of TAs positively affects social change through increased quality of instruction, improved teaching strategies, and enhanced and developmentally appropriate support provided to young children.

This project used data from the School Readiness Survey (SR) of the 2007 National Household Education Surveys Program collected by the National Center for Education Statistics Institute of Education Science. A subsample of 1,712 to 2,622 subjects who participated in the survey was used for this project. The purpose of the study was to examine parent perceptions, behaviors, and reported child ability related to school readiness and the effect ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) had on each comparison. Variables from the existing data were matched to one of the five domains of School Readiness: Health and Physical Development, Social and Emotional Development, Approaches to Learning, Communication, and General Knowledge. Data were analyzed by means of Pearson correlations and Moderate Multiple Regression analyses. Findings revealed weak, but significant, correlations among parent perceptions, parent behaviors, and parent reported child ability in specific domains. SES and ethnicity were found to be a moderator of parent perceptions and parent behaviors. SES was also shown to affect the relationship between parent behaviors and parent reported child ability in the domains of communication and general knowledge. Several limitations are presented, including possible reasons for the significant but weak results. Findings from this study suggest much more can be learned regarding parent perceptions across ethnicity and SES and the influence it has on school readiness.

Nous avons examiné la nature du lien, additif ou interactif, entre les capacités attentionnelles et les habiletés de motricité fine et leur influence sur les habiletés d’écriture ultérieures. Les mesures de l’échantillon (n=439) de l’étude montréalaise sur le préscolaire en milieu défavorisé (MLEPS) à la maternelle incluent des questionnaires aux enseignants, des évaluations sur la connaissance des nombres et du vocabulaire réceptif des élèves et caractéristiques familiales rapportées par les parents. En 3ème année, les mesures proviennent de questionnaires aux enseignants. Selon les résultats des régressions multiples de notre modèle, un élève qui avait de bonnes capacités d’attention ou de motricité fine à la maternelle, avait plus de chances d’avoir de bonnes habiletés d’écriture en 3ème année. L’interaction entre l’attention et la motricité fine était aussi significative, ce qui signifie que les capacités d’attention, avec l’influence des habiletés de motricité fine, prédisent davantage les habiletés d’écriture ultérieure. Il est pertinent de mesurer la réussite scolaire en écriture puisque les élèves à l’école peuvent investir de 31 à 60% de leur temps à réaliser des tâches motrices et 85% de celles-ci incluraient un crayon et du papier (McHale & Cermak, 1992). L’écriture serait aussi importante que les mathématiques et la lecture pour la réussite scolaire (Cutler & Graham, 2008). En identifiant les éléments clés de la réussite en écriture, nous pourrons mieux intervenir et soutenir les élèves, et ainsi, nous pourrions augmenter leurs chances de vivre des expériences positives à l’école, d’obtenir un diplôme et d’ intégrer le marché du travail. / Studies on school readiness aim to identify key elements that positively influence later school achievement. In this study, we examined direct and indirect links between attention skills and fine motor skills on later writing skills with a data set from the Montreal Longitudinal-Experimental Preschool Study (MLPS). Kindergarten measures include teacher ratings of attention and fine motor skills, direct assessments of number knowledge and receptive vocabulary, and parentreported family characteristics. By then end of 3rd grade, teachers also rated children’s writing skills. In our model, attention skills and fine motor skills predicted writing achievement by the end of 3rd grade. Our multiple regression results indicated that higher level of kindergarten attention or fine motor skills were associated with greater chances of belonging to better writing skills in 3rd grade. The interaction between attention skills and fine motor skills was also significant which means that attention skills are more predictive with the influence of fine motor skills. Measuring writing achievement is pertinent because at school, more than 31% to 60% of school time involved motor tasks and 85% of these included paper and pencil activites (McHale & Cermak, 1992).Writing is as much important as maths and reading for school achievement (Cutler & Graham, 2008) Identifying key elements of later writing achievement will help to adapt interventions that will occur early in childhood. We need to increase chances for children to have good and positive experiences at school, and eventually, graduate and join the labor market.

Bien que les facteurs de risque associés au faible engagement scolaire aient été largement étudiés, les mécanismes qui conduisent les enfants moins bien préparés pour l’école à se désengager dès le début de leur parcours scolaire demeurent méconnus. Une meilleure compréhension de ces mécanismes permettrait de prévenir le désinvestissement de ces élèves et favoriserait leur persévérance scolaire. Étant donné l’importance des relations sociales en début de scolarisation, la présente étude a pour objectif d’examiner dans quelle mesure la relation que l’élève entretient avec son enseignant en première année peut expliquer le lien entre la préparation à l’école en maternelle et l’engagement scolaire en deuxième année. Des régressions linéaires multiples hiérarchiques réalisées sur un échantillon de 1492 élèves québécois ont permis de vérifier cette hypothèse. Les résultats obtenus confirment que la relation maître-élève chaleureuse et conflictuelle permet d’expliquer le niveau d’engagement des élèves qui présentent une faible préparation à l’école lorsqu’ils entrent à la maternelle. Les implications pour la recherche et la pratique des intervenants en milieu scolaire seront discutées. / Risk factors associated with lower school engagement have been widely studied. Children entering school with lower levels of school readiness tend to be less engaged in school activities. However, the mechanisms leading those children to early disengagement are yet to be discovered. Better understanding these mechanisms could help prevent disengagement and school dropout. Social relationships are known to be of high importance, especially at school entry. Therefore, the present study will test if the teacher-student relationship in grade 1 can explain the association between school readiness in kindergarten and school engagement in grade 2. This hypothesis was verified using multiple linear regressions and a sample of 1492 French-canadian pupils. Results show that children’s readiness for school in kindergarten can predict their level of school engagement two years later. Furthermore, conflict and closeness in the teacher-student relationship are mechanisms which can explain this predictive relationship. Implications for further research and school intervention will be discussed.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

This study focuses on listening and auditory skills of Grade R learners. The researcher wanted to establish the state of these skills, and whether they influence the scholastic achievement of learners. Literature study was done, and literature indicates that listening skills are a prerequisite for language proficiency. Listening is a skill that has to be mastered before a child can learn to speak. Listening is essential for all learning, and also determines the success of learning in the formal school system. Cognitive development of the Grade R learner, which is a complex interaction among psychological, environmental and genetic factors, is also considered. Factors which influence auditory perception are emphasized and supported by the literature, as is the importance of good auditory skills. A literature study on brain development is also executed. The brain is the most complex organ in the human body and that cognitive development is seated in the brain. The study indicates the importance of correct stimulation and the acquisition of skills during the first eight years of a child’s life. School readiness, auditory perception and listening skills of the school entrant are considered. Listening skills as well as perceptual skills are skills needed for school readiness and will be discussed. The researcher utilised the mixed method for the empirical investigation, and data were interpreted from the Interpretivistic paradigm. Questionnaires to practising Grade R educators (n=20) determined the state of listening and auditory skills of current Grade R learners in the Kenneth Kaunda district in the Potchefstroom area. This was the qualitative part of the data collection. For quantitative data collection, school readiness tests (n=500) used during the past ten years from a specific pre-primary school in above mentioned district, were utilised. The test used in this study is the “Standardised School Readiness Test” of dr. S le Roux. By the statistical processing of the tests the researcher wanted to determine the state of listening and auditory skills of Grade R learners during the past ten years; whether a decrease is indicated by the statistics, and whether listening and auditory skills only make a difference according to year groups. This could, however, not be proven statistically. The educators who completed the questionnaires indicated significantly that listening and auditory skills of learners have decreased during the past few years. The researcher interprets the phenomenon as a result of the amount of learners in a class. Class ratio may have an influence, since only four to six learners are tested at a time with the school readiness test as opposed to 24 – 30 learners in a Grade R class. The researcher wanted to establish whether listening and auditory skills play a determining role in school readiness and scholastic achievement. According to literature and empirical research, listening and auditory skills do in fact play a determining role in scholastic achievement. If learners are unable to listen, they cannot learn to read and their reading comprehension is poor. All above factors contribute to learners not being ready for school when commencing Grade 1. If attention is given to the development of auditory perceptual skills as well as good listening skills of learners in the Grade R phase, the future Annual National Assessment (ANA) results of Grade 3 learners may be influenced positively. / Thesis (MEd (Curriculum Development))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.